Tuesday, 11 December 2012

Naxos complete their Ferdinand Ries piano concerto series with more magnificent playing from Christopher Hinterhuber

Ferdinand Ries
(1784-1838) is probably better known for his association with Beethoven
than as a composer. Yet Ries wrote seven symphonies, a violin concerto, eight
piano concertos, seven other works for piano and orchestra, as well as oratorios,
chamber and piano music.

Ries came from a distinguished family of musicians. His grandfather,
Johann Ries (1723-1784), was Court trumpeter to the Elector of Cologne in Bonn
and later violinist in the Capelle. His aunt, Anna Maria, was a singer who
married Ferdinand Drewer, a violinist in the court band. His father, Franz
Anton, was born in Bonn in 1755 and was a child prodigy, having been taught the
violin by Johann Peter Salomon (who brought Haydn to London in the 1790s) and played
in the court band from the age of only eleven. In 1779 he made his way to
Vienna where Beethoven became a friend and pupil. Franz Anton gave great
support to the Beethoven family during difficult times, especially after the
death of Beethoven’s mother.

His son, Ferdinand
Ries, was born in Bonn in November 1784 and was taught piano and violin by
his father. He lost an eye in childhood due to smallpox. In 1801 he went to
Munich to further his studies and, later that year, he travelled to Vienna with
a letter from his father to Beethoven, who gave him much financial and practical
support. Ries stayed in Vienna for three years, studying composition with Johann
Georg Albrechtsberger.

After his return to Bonn he later travelled to Prague,
Dresden, Leipzig and Paris, before returning to Vienna in 1808. His reputation
as a pianist was growing and, after an abortive attempt to gain the position of
Capellmeister to the King of Westphalia, Ries travelled to Cassel, where he
played at the Court to much acclaim.

With still no offer of a post, Ries travelled again, this
time to Hamburg, Copenhagen and Stockholm where he arrived in 1810. He
eventually made his way to St Petersburg. After further travels as far as Riga
and Kiev, he made his way to England where he found his father’s friend,
Salomon, whose introductions helped him to quickly gain access to the musical
life in London.

Ries remained in London until 1824. He had accumulated a
substantial fortune, married and had made a great reputation. On his return to his
homeland with his wife he purchased a property near his home town. In 1830 he
moved to Frankfurt where he involved himself in the Lower Rhine festivals. He
died on 13th January 1838 after a short illness.

Naxos Recordswww.naxos.comhave just completed their series of five CDs covering the entire
fourteen surviving works for piano and orchestra. Volume 5 again features
Christopher Hinterhuber (piano) http://christopherhinterhuber.comand the conductor, Uwe Grodd this time
conducting the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

8.572742

With its extended opening for orchestra before the piano
enters, Ries’ Piano Concerto in E flat Op.42 (1808) is in a much more
Beethovenian style than some of the previous concertos I have heard in this
series though still looking forward to Chopin and even Schumann to a degree.
This allegro con brio is full of
invention and wonderful pianistic effects, with an attractive cadenza.

The larghetto
opens with a solo clarinet against pizzicato strings before opening out to the
full orchestra with the entry of the piano bringing some delicate writing with
lovely interplay with the orchestra.A
brief solo passage for piano leads directly to the rondo allegro where there is terrific freedom of invention with
witty piano writing, full of joy with many playful flourishes and a
characterful contribution from the horns. There is a wonderful central theme
that gives contrast to the movement. Christopher Hinterhuber has all the
technique, fluency and musicianship to make these works really come to life.

The Introduction et Rondeau brilliant Op.144
from 1825, written after his retirement from the London concert scene, opens
with a dramatic, serious theme before the piano introduces a new idea in an
altogether more relaxed manner. There are some brief dramatic outbursts but
overall this is thoughtful music to which Hinterhuber brings much poetry. The rondeau introduces a livelier theme with
a beautifully light touch from the pianist. This is a wonderfully inventive
piece.

The Piano Concerto in G minor Op.177
(1832/3) is Ries’ last piano concerto. It opens with a weighty theme,
beautifully orchestrated, before the piano enters. This concerto seems to have
an altogether more serious feel with some terrific writing for the piano,
brilliantly played by Hinterhuber. Oddly for such a late work, there are still hints
of Beethoven in some of the scales and trills. There is a tautness and sense of
dramatic purpose here, not to mention some pretty virtuosic playing.

The larghetto
brings some lovely woodwind writing along with a tranquil piano part that often
sounds improvised, with the piano writing somewhat anticipating Chopin. The
movement rises to a couple of brief climaxes with some fine playing from
Hinterhuber before a quiet ending.

A lively rondo
allegretto follows with grand flourishes for piano against an orchestra
that features more lovely woodwind writing. Hinterhuber plays all of this
magnificently, superbly supported by Uwe Grodd and the New Zealand Symphony
Orchestra.

I have enjoyed this series of recordings immensely and this
final volume is a worthy conclusion to the whole series.

About The Classical Reviewer

The Classical Reviewer has been involved in music for many years, as a classical record distributor, as a newspaper concert reviewer and writer of articles relating to music as well as reviewing for Harpsichord and Fortepiano magazine.

He assisted in the cataloguing of the scores of the late British composer George Lloyd and has co-authored a memoir of his friendship with the composer.

Having a particular interest in British music, he regularly undertakes talks on Elgar.

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